Fixing Sub Weapon Balance by Only Changing Ink Costs

[OnePotWonder]

Originally I had a pun for the title, but something straightforward seemed like it would work better.
This is a simple thought exercise; how could sub weapon balance be optimized if all we can change is ink cost? Here's my take.

Subs that already have optimal ink costs:

• Splat Bomb (70%)
• Suction Bomb (70%)
• Burst Bomb (45%)
• Curling Bomb (65%)
• Autobomb (55%)
• Squid Beakon (75%)
• Torpedo (65%)

Most of the cost changes will be buffs to utilities, leaving bombs unchanged. Beakon also doesn't care about ink cost whatsoever.

Ink Mine - 55%
Ink Mine is a Good™ sub weapon that fills its role effectively, though its lack of range means it struggles to compete with most bombs in terms of general paint and mid-fight utility. A 5% ink cost nudge is practically superficial with how few white ink frames it has, but it's still a handy buff that makes it quicker to plant mines close together, and go from planting mines to painting.

Sprinkler - 45%
The first drastic change is to Sprinkler, with a relative 25% cost decrease. Sprinkler has a number of uses; painting an area long-term, instant paint and a mini-shield to help escape a fight, a mini-shield / distraction for use in a fight, and a way to efficiently ink uncontested turf. A cost buff makes the sub better at all of these roles to varying degrees, with the ability to chain Sprinklers together when escaping, and leaving the user with more ink when using a Sprinkler in a fight. Overbearing paint won't even be a problem, since only one can be active at a time.

Toxic Mist - 45%
Speaking of relative 25% cost decreases, next up is Toxic Mist, with an exactly identical change. Unlike Sprinkler, Toxic Mist is just... really expensive for what it actually does, providing no paint and no damage in favor of long-lasting soft area denial. I wouldn't even be really worried about double Toxic Mist, personally. If a Mist user is willing to spend virtually their entire tank on it, denying that much space seems justified. Would Mist be actually good with this change? Probably not, but it would be significantly better.

Point Sensor - 40%
We all know and (some of us, I'm sure) love Point Sensor. This sub is all about location to the point of hyperfixation, and if location is valuable in a given meta, so too will be Point Sensor. As such, a 5% cost decrease is all it really needs to be on par with the other sub weapons in a meta that's neutral towards it.

Splash Wall - 65%
Finally, the first nerf on the list, Splash Wall. While not necessarily a top tier sub, it's a major nuisance and virtually impossible to break for a wide variety of weapons. By the nature of the thread, a more fitting HP nerf is off the table, so a 5% cost increase is the best I'm able to propose.

Fizzy Bomb - 55%/60%/65%
Now for the second most interesting change and the only other nerf, Fizzy Bomb. The sub's ink cost will scale with its charge level from 55% at no charge to 65% when fully charged. This makes accessing double Fizzy significantly more difficult, leaves partially charged mobility Fizzies unchanged, and makes combo Fizzies cheaper and more accessible. Good change, good lack of change, and good change.

Angle Shooter - 30%
Would you look at the time! It's fun-o-clock. We all know Angle Shooter is pretty underpowered. So I would decrease its ink cost by a relative 25% and let players throw three of them by default. Obviously not the best buff Angle Shooter could receive, but it would be hilarious and incredibly fun. It would also let a player splat with nothing but Angle Shooters within a full ink tank. I think it's by no means unreasonable to argue that this would be more balanced than the Angle Shooter currently in the game.

With that, sub weapon cost distribution would be as follows:

• 30% - Angle Shooter
• 40% - Point Sensor
• 45% - Burst Bomb, Sprinkler, Toxic Mist
• 55% - Autobomb, Ink Mine, Fizzy Bomb (no charge)
• 60% - Fizzy Bomb (partial charge)
• 65% - Curling Bomb, Splash Wall, Fizzy Bomb (full charge), Torpedo
• 70% - Splat Bomb, Suction Bomb
• 75% - Squid Beakon

Kind of interesting how every 60% cost sub had its cost changed and nothing was changed to 60%, leaving the category virtually empty.

Thanks for reading through all of this.
Feel free to share your own ideas for sub weapon cost changes below, if you have different ones.
And, as always, have a wonderful day.

 

[Algae]

I wouldn't apply this seriously, but hell yeah. Line spam time. Also interesting that you kept curling as high as it is in S3. Sure it's seen as a nerf to a lot of main weapons, but it'd be quite a buff to many of them as well. Though I thought of giving Beakon 65% cost along with white ink frames (is the lack of such intentional? It normally incentivizes attacking with the main weapon instead of trying to spam your sub weapon).

 

[How•SweeT!]

Originally I had a pun for the title, but something straightforward seemed like it would work better.
This is a simple thought exercise; how could sub weapon balance be optimized if all we can change is ink cost? Here's my take.

Subs that already have optimal ink costs:

• Splat Bomb (70%)
• Suction Bomb (70%)
• Burst Bomb (45%)
• Curling Bomb (65%)
• Autobomb (55%)
• Squid Beakon (75%)
• Torpedo (65%)

Most of the cost changes will be buffs to utilities, leaving bombs unchanged. Beakon also doesn't care about ink cost whatsoever.

Ink Mine - 55%
Ink Mine is a Good™ sub weapon that fills its role effectively, though its lack of range means it struggles to compete with most bombs in terms of general paint and mid-fight utility. A 5% ink cost nudge is practically superficial with how few white ink frames it has, but it's still a handy buff that makes it quicker to plant mines close together, and go from planting mines to painting.

Sprinkler - 45%
The first drastic change is to Sprinkler, with a relative 25% cost decrease. Sprinkler has a number of uses; painting an area long-term, instant paint and a mini-shield to help escape a fight, a mini-shield / distraction for use in a fight, and a way to efficiently ink uncontested turf. A cost buff makes the sub better at all of these roles to varying degrees, with the ability to chain Sprinklers together when escaping, and leaving the user with more ink when using a Sprinkler in a fight. Overbearing paint won't even be a problem, since only one can be active at a time.

Toxic Mist - 45%
Speaking of relative 25% cost decreases, next up is Toxic Mist, with an exactly identical change. Unlike Sprinkler, Toxic Mist is just... really expensive for what it actually does, providing no paint and no damage in favor of long-lasting soft area denial. I wouldn't even be really worried about double Toxic Mist, personally. If a Mist user is willing to spend virtually their entire tank on it, denying that much space seems justified. Would Mist be actually good with this change? Probably not, but it would be significantly better.

Point Sensor - 40%
We all know and (some of us, I'm sure) love Point Sensor. This sub is all about location to the point of hyperfixation, and if location is valuable in a given meta, so too will be Point Sensor. As such, a 5% cost decrease is all it really needs to be on par with the other sub weapons in a meta that's neutral towards it.

Splash Wall - 65%
Finally, the first nerf on the list, Splash Wall. While not necessarily a top tier sub, it's a major nuisance and virtually impossible to break for a wide variety of weapons. By the nature of the thread, a more fitting HP nerf is off the table, so a 5% cost increase is the best I'm able to propose.

Fizzy Bomb - 55%/60%/65%
Now for the second most interesting change and the only other nerf, Fizzy Bomb. The sub's ink cost will scale with its charge level from 55% at no charge to 65% when fully charged. This makes accessing double Fizzy significantly more difficult, leaves partially charged mobility Fizzies unchanged, and makes combo Fizzies cheaper and more accessible. Good change, good lack of change, and good change.

Angle Shooter - 30%
Would you look at the time! It's fun-o-clock. We all know Angle Shooter is pretty underpowered. So I would decrease its ink cost by a relative 25% and let players throw three of them by default. Obviously not the best buff Angle Shooter could receive, but it would be hilarious and incredibly fun. It would also let a player splat with nothing but Angle Shooters within a full ink tank. I think it's by no means unreasonable to argue that this would be more balanced than the Angle Shooter currently in the game.

With that, sub weapon cost distribution would be as follows:

• 30% - Angle Shooter
• 40% - Point Sensor
• 45% - Burst Bomb, Sprinkler, Toxic Mist
• 55% - Autobomb, Ink Mine, Fizzy Bomb (no charge)
• 60% - Fizzy Bomb (partial charge)
• 65% - Curling Bomb, Splash Wall, Fizzy Bomb (full charge), Torpedo
• 70% - Splat Bomb, Suction Bomb
• 75% - Squid Beakon

Kind of interesting how every 60% cost sub had its cost changed and nothing was changed to 60%, leaving the category virtually empty.

Thanks for reading through all of this.
Feel free to share your own ideas for sub weapon cost changes below, if you have different ones.
And, as always, have a wonderful day.

Bros a grind

 

[isaac4]

I didn't originally have anything to add here but while reading your reasoning for buffing Sensor I've realized that I would actually want a buff to the ink cost of the sub.
I've already seen Sensor as being pretty cheap but there's nothing wrong with making it 5% cheaper, especially considering that it doesn't do much on its own despite a reliable location tool still being pretty nice to have.
I'm slightly biased though as the decrease in the ink cost would give Machine six sloshes after throwing one Sensor (currently five without gear) and two sloshes after throwing two Sensors (currently one).

I wouldn't apply this seriously, but hell yeah. Line spam time. Also interesting that you kept curling as high as it is in S3. Sure it's seen as a nerf to a lot of main weapons, but it'd be quite a buff to many of them as well. Though I thought of giving Beakon 65% cost along with white ink frames (is the lack of such intentional? It normally incentivizes attacking with the main weapon instead of trying to spam your sub weapon).

I'm sure the lack of white ink frames is intentional. It'd be very strange if it wasn't with how long it's remained that way but regardless, I don't find it necessary to change Beakon. The sub seems to be in a fine enough spot as is with the main problem usually being that it gets paired up with the wrong weapons.

 

[Algae]

I'm sure the lack of white ink frames is intentional. ...

I think the ink cooldown animation is still present, even though the colored part of the ink "meter" still rises. Besides, which weapons do you think are best/worst with this weapon? It might be related to Splatoon 3 making it harder to flank...

(edit: yep, the gray meter goes down whilw the colored one goes up, even in s3.)

 

[QuagSass]

I think the ink cooldown animation is still present, even though the colored part of the ink "meter" still rises. Besides, which weapons do you think are best/worst with this weapon? It might be related to Splatoon 3 making it harder to flank...

Can you guess which weapon class that loves beakon ended up not getting it in s3?

We definitely got a fair bit of weapons that really synergise with beakon, tenta brella comes to mind first. But then some weapons that I think could be good with beakon, ended up getting a special that doesn't help at all. Octobrush my love....

Beakon itself is perfectly fine, it just got put on weird kits.

 

[isaac4]

I think the ink cooldown animation is still present, even though the colored part of the ink "meter" still rises. Besides, which weapons do you think are best/worst with this weapon? It might be related to Splatoon 3 making it harder to flank...

(edit: yep, the gray meter goes down whilw the colored one goes up, even in s3.)

As Quag already said, Tenta Brella and the Splatling weapon class are some examples of weapons that work well with Beakon.
Other backlines such as Explo and E-Liter are also good Beakon weapons but the usual problem with how the devs add them to kits is when they're paired up with a weapon that would really like a poking/combo tool or something that helps with their mobility instead.
The first kits that come to mind would be Sploosh Neo, Krak-On Roller, and Wiper Deco.

I'll stop here as I don't want to completely derail the main topic of the thread.

 

[solz]

Sensor my Boi!!!

 

[youre_a_squib_now]

Sprinkler - 45%
The first drastic change is to Sprinkler, with a relative 25% cost decrease. Sprinkler has a number of uses; painting an area long-term, instant paint and a mini-shield to help escape a fight, a mini-shield / distraction for use in a fight, and a way to efficiently ink uncontested turf. A cost buff makes the sub better at all of these roles to varying degrees, with the ability to chain Sprinklers together when escaping, and leaving the user with more ink when using a Sprinkler in a fight. Overbearing paint won't even be a problem, since only one can be active at a time.

I do like the change, and overbearing paint probably wouldn't be a problem, but that's not why. Sprinkler isn't strong long-term anyway; essentially all of the paint it puts down is in the first ten seconds, and most of it is in the first five. Even if it didn't decay, it wouldn't help long term because no one would bother to paint under it without shooting it first anyway.

The reason it won't be too much is because the other team will shoot them down if they aren't used well. And if they are used well, then that team will be able to paint the map much more efficiently, which helps make up for the fact that it doesn't do (good) damage or poke. If it's only going to do one thing, it should do it well.

Also, it's only a 15% buff. It costs 60% by default.

Toxic Mist - 45%
Speaking of relative 25% cost decreases, next up is Toxic Mist, with an exactly identical change. Unlike Sprinkler, Toxic Mist is just... really expensive for what it actually does, providing no paint and no damage in favor of long-lasting soft area denial. I wouldn't even be really worried about double Toxic Mist, personally. If a Mist user is willing to spend virtually their entire tank on it, denying that much space seems justified. Would Mist be actually good with this change? Probably not, but it would be significantly better.

Toxic mist does even less than Sprinkler, but what it does do can be very annoying when it works. It doesn't keep you from moving through the area because you can squid roll through it for some reason, but if you're stuck in the middle of it, you're stuck for a bit, and that doesn't feel great. So I have a hard time seeing the justification for this, since it wouldn't make it good enough to be worth using over other subs, but it would definitely make it significantly more annoying.

Also, it's only a 15% buff. It costs 60% by default.

Angle Shooter - 30%
Would you look at the time! It's fun-o-clock. We all know Angle Shooter is pretty underpowered. So I would decrease its ink cost by a relative 25% and let players throw three of them by default. Obviously not the best buff Angle Shooter could receive, but it would be hilarious and incredibly fun. It would also let a player splat with nothing but Angle Shooters within a full ink tank. I think it's by no means unreasonable to argue that this would be more balanced than the Angle Shooter currently in the game.

I love this change. Dart doesn't do a whole lot, especially when it misses, so making it less of a commitment to use seems like an obvious change. It feels like they want dart to be burst 2.0, where it does only a little, but quickly and for cheap, but they didn't really get the cheap part, especially for how little it does. Being able to use dart more easily (and more often) would help it to do more.

Throwing three in a row to splat shouldn't be an issue because you're using your whole ink tank anyway, so if you miss even one, the other person gets to move up for free while you get your ink back. The time between the first and the last one would only be around a second, which is fast for having more than e-liter range, but it's not super fast so it's probably fine.

......also, it's only a 10% buff. It costs 40% by default.

 

[youre_a_squib_now]

Ink Mine - 55%
Ink Mine is a Good™ sub weapon that fills its role effectively,

I agree with the change, but... no.
This is deserving of its own thread anyway. You have my permission to ping me excessively if I do not make one sometime soon; I've been meaning to for months.

 

[OnePotWonder]

Also, it's only a 15% buff. It costs 60% by default.

Also, it's only a 15% buff. It costs 60% by default.

......also, it's only a 10% buff. It costs 40% by default.

The key word is "relatively" in these cases.
45% is relatively 25% less than 60%.
30% is relatively 25% less than 40%.
The subs would require 25% less ink than prior as a flat amount of ink, not a percentage of the tank.
A bit convoluted but it puts the changes into better perspective.

I agree with the change, but... no.
This is deserving of its own thread anyway. You have my permission to ping me excessively if I do not make one sometime soon; I've been meaning to for months.

Also, what's wrong with Ink Mine? It works fine, revealing flanks and dealing consistent chip damage to enemies that get trapped by them. They're definitely not the strongest, hence them getting a buff while Curling didn't, but I'd say they do their job.

Unless you're arguing that their job isn't valuable enough to justify using them, which is debatable.

 

[DVDo]

Oooh I like most of these changes. The Fizzy Bomb rework in particular is really great, I'm always a fan of "sidegrades" because they feel very effective at honing in on the right balance direction.

I'm not as on board with the Toxic Mist change. I do agree it wouldn't make it that much stronger, but I think it would primarily make it much more annoying, especially with S3's maps having so many chokepoints. With proper maps I do think this change would be needed, but with the game as it is now I think Toxic Mist being bad is just a necessary evil for the sake of game feel.

I think Splash Wall's current ink cost is about right, it definitely needs it's other stats to be tuned instead but that's outside the limitations of this thread of course.

The Angle Shooter change is very fun of course. I like the idea that all dart weapons can become a discount Snipewriter if they want to. Though I also worry about that being too annoying, maybe more white ink frames would be necessary to tone back their output. I also like that with more tripwire out it'd be easier to get the location effect. Might as well make that more reliable if they don't want to give it damage.

 

[OnePotWonder]

Side note that I meant to tack on earlier, I think Mist’s cost buff would be a significant improvement to the sub if only one cloud of mist could be active at a time. That way you get all of the extra ink with significantly less annoying spam. In tandem with a few other buffs, (the cloud actually painting, for example,) it would probably put Mist in a spot where it wouldn’t be an embarrassment to the sub weapon lineup.